Media

HKU scientists utilise innovative neuroimaging approach to unravel complex brain networks

24 Jan 2017

 

A research team led by Professor Ed X. Wu of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the University of Hong Kong has used an innovative neuroimaging tool to interrogate the complex brain networks and functions.

The findings have recently been published in a prestigious international academic journal.

The team has successfully manipulated two pioneering technologies to simultaneously capture large-scale brain-wide neural activity propagation and interaction dynamics, while examining their functional roles. Their experiments on rodents have revealed activities unknown before of an important brain region.

In 2013, US launched the BRAIN Initiative to “accelerate the development and application of new technologies that will enable researchers to produce dynamic pictures of the brain that show how individual brain cells and complex neural circuits interact at the speed of thought.” In November 2016, China launched its own initiative “China Brain Project”, which aims to advance basic research on the neural circuit mechanisms underlying cognition in hopes to improve brain disease diagnosis/intervention and inspire development of brain-machine intelligence technology.

Against this background, the team's discovery has taken scientists a step further in unravelling the mysteries of the brain. Professor Wu’s team has been a pioneering team globally in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research, the current discovery utliising the new neuroimaging tool will hopefully inspire further efforts to visualise complex large-scale brain networks. It could also lead to the development of new neuro-technologies for early diagnosis and intervention of brain diseases including autism, Alzheimer's disease or dementia.

Professor Wu will hold a press briefing with team members on January 26 (Thursday) to release the findings.

Details are as follows:
Date：January 26, 2017 (Thursday)
Time：10:30am
Venue：Rm 515, Faculty Conference Room, Faculty of Engineering, 5/F., Haking Wong Building, HKU.

For media enquiries, please contact: Ms Melanie Wan (Senior Manager (Media), Communications and Public Affairs Office) tel: 2859 2600 / email: melwkwan@hku.hk; or Ms Esther Lau, Faculty of Engineering, HKU, tel: 3917 1924 / email: estherlc@hku.hk.